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TAKE A CLOSE LOOK AT MONTANA’S TOURISM FUTURE
2002 GOVERNOR’S CONFERENCE ON TOURISM AND RECREATION, APRIL 18-19, IN WEST YELLOWSTONE
2002 GOVERNOR’S CONFERENCE ON TOURISM AND RECREATION, APRIL 18-19, IN WEST YELLOWSTONE
Helena – February 28, 2002 - -“The Montana G.O.V.* Conference: *Goals, Objectives and Vision for Montana’s Tourism Future,” is the theme for the 28th Annual Governor’s Conference on Tourism and Recreation. The two-day educational and networking event will take place at the West Yellowstone Conference Hotel, April 18-19, 2002. About 400 people involved and interested in Montana’s tourism and recreation offerings are expected to attend.
“This conference provides the setting for the tourism industry to network and learn more about industry changes, challenges and trends,” said Mark Simonich, Director, Montana Department of Commerce. “Fostering healthy tourism growth continues to be essential to the economic vitality of our state and communities.”
The Montana G.O.V.* Conference will open on Thursday morning, April 18, with a presentation by Peter Yesawich, President and CEO of Yesawich, Pepperdine & Brown, addressing how current world political and economic events are affecting national and international travel trends. Yesawich, Pepperdine & Brown is a communications firm serving the travel and leisure industry. The firm co-authors the widely acclaimed national travel MONITOR research series on travel habits, preferences and intentions of Americans.
Other April 18 highlights:
• Bruce Beckham, a national expert in group travel and international markets, will share information about how Montana can capitalize on group travel trends.
• The Hingston Roach Group will conduct a number of public input sessions for the 2003-2007 Strategic Plan for Montana Tourism & Recreation and provide an update on the plan’s development.
• The University of Montana’s Institute for Tourism & Recreation Research (ITRR) will present the results on its 2001 full-year, statewide visitor survey.
• Federal Officials will provide updates on Montana’s newest national attractions: the national monuments at Pompey’s Pillar and the Missouri River Breaks Wild & Scenic River Corridor, the development of the Fort Peck Interpretive Center on Fort Peck Lake, and the Upper Missouri River Interpretive Center in Fort Benton.
A panel presentation entitled “Tourism: Through the Eyes of Montanans” is the featured session to open the Friday morning agenda, April 19. The panelists will present the view of tourism from the state’s arts, environmental and American Indian communities. Panelists include: Arlynn Fishbaugh, Montana Arts Council, Helena; Darrell Martin, Vice President Fort Belknap Indian Community Tribal Business Council, Fort Belknap Reservation; R.J. Young, Montana Tribal Tourism Alliance Chairman, Fort Peck Reservation; and Julia Page, Yellowstone Raft Company, Gardiner.
Other April 19 topics:
• The national Lewis & Clark Bicentennial Commemoration kicks off in 2003. This session will discuss Montana’s two national signature events that will put the spotlight on Montana in 2005 and 2006.
• A discussion on the issues that surround gateway communities and public land management agencies by Yellowstone National Park Officials and Aubrey King, Executive Director of the National Alliance of Gateway Communities in Washington, D.C.
• Wondering how to keep good employees? Norm Millikin, MSU College of Business Professor, has been researching why good employees stay and leave and what employers have done to keep their good people happy and working.
Governor Judy Martz is the featured speaker at the Friday night banquet. She will present the Tourism Person and the Tourism Community of the Year Awards.
Conference registration is $120 prior to April 1, $140 through April 12 and $160 after that. To register, contact RMS Management Services of Helena, 443-1160, FAX 443-4614, e-mail: skopec@rmsmanagement.com or log onto Travel Montana’s Intranet site: http://travelmontana.state.mt.us/conference for registration forms, agenda, sponsor and exhibitor information, lodging options and other useful information
Tourism is one of Montana’s basic industries. In 2001, over 9.5 million people visited Montana. These visitors spent nearly $1.7 billion on lodging food, shopping, transportation and gasoline.
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